Development of cosmeceutical products based on natural products

Under the aegis of the four-year NATPROTEC (Integrated technologies for the discovery and development of cosmeceutical agents from plant biodiversity) project, scientists are investigating the potential of natural products originating from Alpine and Mediterranean biodiversity to be used in novel cosmeuceutical products. The global cosmeceutical market is estimated to worth several billions of euros and is expected to rapidly grow due to increasing global longevity.

Researchers made considerable headway during the first two years of the project. Through in silico studies on existing compound libraries, literature reviews and empirical knowledge, researchers selected promising plants of European origin. After experimental validation, the plant list was finalised and potentially bioactive compounds and extracts submitted for in vitro evaluation.

A panel of assays was used to determine the skin-protective and anti-hyperpigmentation effects of the shortlisted compounds/extracts. State-of-the-art techniques used include emerging “green” extraction methods (e.g. microwave and supercritical extractions), miniaturized approaches and advanced analytical techniques. Based on results, the 20 most promising extracts are currently micro-fractionated and their skin-protective, anti-hyperpigmentation and anti-ageing properties will be re-evaluated.

Project partners developed a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based analytical technique to determine the structure of all natural compounds existing in the selected bioactive plant extracts. They are also working to develop methods for studying the physicochemical and passive permeation properties of pure compounds.

Future activities include selection and optimisation of the most promising compounds through application of emerging green technologies, such as supercritical fluid extraction or using eco-friendly solvents, at large scale. The last step will be to perform a pilot-scale production of the final lead products, to incorporate it to a novel cosmeuceutical product and to perform a feasibility study.

This collaboration between four industrial and four academic entities with requisite expertise is expected to lead to the sustainable development of novel lead products for cosmeceutical applications and in parallel strengthen the position of European SME’s and enhance overall the competitiveness of European industries in this area.